Jesse first picked up a guitar early in his pre-teens and throughout his high-school years formed and played in various rock band incarnations, becoming a fixture on the “Battle of the Bands” circuit, covering all his idols of the time from Eddie Vedder to Scott Weiland to Rush. Following high-school he became disenchanted with the idea of playing cover tunes in a rock band and more enamored with the writing process, structure, melody, hooks and the idea of what makes a great pop song. This early love affair with pop music and “the song” has led Jesse down a long and sometimes lonely road but ultimately to his own unique voice.
In recent years there have been a series of “Perfect Accidents” that have led Jesse to the brink of his debut album release on Wax Records. Occurrences such as his CITY TV Speaker’s Corner performance, the broadcast of which generated several marriage proposals and a more serious email invitation from, at that time budding Canadian songstress Fefe Dobson to write with her and ultimately join her band. Or his chance meeting with Jay Levine (Philosopher Kings, Prozac) that led to a development deal with Arista Records. As well as his introduction to Dave Thomson while at Sony ATV where they became writing collaborators, which after taking separate paths, finds them now back together as artist and producer. It is these kind of serendipitous events that are a recurring theme in Jesse’s life and in his songwriting.
Jesse Labelle’s debut Wax Records release was recorded through August and September of 09 in Toronto and Nashville with producer Dave Thomson (Lights). When asked about his collaboration with Dave this time around Jesse relates “it was great to work with Dave again, we’ve been friends for a long time and have a mutual respect for each other’s strengths. Over the past few years Dave has really matured as a producer and I think I have matured as a songwriter so the recording process was the best it’s ever been, we were totally on the same page.”
Jesse’s debut release is comprised of a dozen songs that each stand alone as individual vignettes that tell their own story but have a common thread of love both lost and found running through them. Musically the album is big, big hooks, big sweeping chorus’ and big production, but lyrically it’s incredibly intimate reflecting a range of emotions that move from loss and vulnerability, to hope and strength.
“Lost Without You was the first real song I ever wrote”, states Jesse. “It came out pretty much fully formed.” Like those stories you hear about automatic writers or painters who enter an altered state and when they come out of it they’ve created something perfect and complete. “It’s like something just comes over you. That describes the songwriting process for me, most of my songs come that way”.
‘Australia’ is the story about two people who had been in a relationship, one of which decided they had to leave to find their own way. After being apart for some time they are about to meet again. The song is about anticipation and trepidation, excitement to meet again but fear that the one who left has changed and the connection may be irretrievably lost. Storytelling is central to Jesse’s writing. When asked why he says, “to me, human relationships are the only thing that matter in life, without that connection to others we are lost. I find that writing and singing about those relationships and experiences is sometimes much easier than talking about them.”
“Perfect Accident” came out of those earlier writing sessions with Dave Thomson. “This song is truly a collaboration with Dave and myself”, says Jesse. “Dave had this idea for a song and we sat down and fleshed it out together one afternoon”. The first radio single from Jesse’s debut release is about one of those moments that at first glance appears to be completely random but in hindsight was obviously meant to be and ultimately turns out to be one of those defining moments in a person’s life.
Jesse Labelle’s ability to make a real connection with the listener through his songs is what sets him apart. One thing is certain Jesse’s talent as a songwriter and performer is anything but an “accident”. It comes from years of honing his craft, scores of live performances and years of developing his skills as a gifted songwriter. His vision is clear and his feet are now firmly planted on the road to success.
Don't Leave Now
Jesse Labelle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where you've been is unclear
The days have been lonely
Am I the only one my dear?
Inside the house we built
You have against your will
Cz our only purpose to just
Scratch the surface and stand still
And tell you with all my life
Please dont leave now, I'm not ready
You can take my heart but
Don't leave now, it's too unsteady
And I'm not ready to watch you go
Somewhere inside your heart
Must be a brand new start
I think you can feel it
Please let me steal it for just one day
The lyrics to Jesse Labelle's song Don't Leave Now are about the lead singer's reluctance to let go of a relationship that has gone sour. He mentions that even though the person he loves is no longer with him, their presence still lingers in his life, and he's having a hard time adjusting to the change. He talks about how he and his partner built a life together and how the purpose of their relationship was just to scratch the surface of what they could have had together. He begs his lover not to leave, saying he's not ready to let go of their relationship and that his heart is too unsteady to deal with the pain of separation.
The chorus of the song is a plea for his lover to stay, as he believes that somewhere deep inside their heart, there's a chance to make things work. He wants to steal the opportunity to prove his love for just one more day. The song resonates with anyone who has gone through a break-up and found it challenging to move on. The lyrics capture the sense of confusion, despair, and heartbreak that often come with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Gone but you still are here
Even though you're physically gone, I still feel your presence with me.
Where you've been is unclear
I'm unsure of where you are and what you're doing.
The days have been lonely
I've been feeling lonely since you've been gone.
Am I the only one my dear?
I wonder if I'm the only one who feels this way about you.
Inside the house we built
The home we created together is still here, but it feels empty without you.
You have against your will
You left involuntarily, and it's hard for me to accept.
Cz our only purpose to just
We had big dreams and aspirations, but now it feels like we were just going through the motions.
Scratch the surface and stand still
We never really dug deep into what we really wanted or needed, so we're stuck in this state of limbo.
I wanna run to the place where you hide
I want to find you and be with you, even if you're trying to get away from me.
And tell you with all my life
I want to express how much you mean to me and how much I need you in my life.
Please dont leave now, I'm not ready
I'm not prepared to say goodbye to you just yet.
You can take my heart but
You can have my heart and soul, but I still want you to stay with me.
Don't leave now, it's too unsteady
Things feel unstable and unsure without you here, so please don't go.
And I'm not ready to watch you go
I'm not ready to say goodbye to you and see you walk away from me.
Somewhere inside your heart
I believe there's a part of you that still cares about me and our relationship.
Must be a brand new start
Perhaps you need to start over and begin a new chapter in your life.
I think you can feel it
I have a sense that you're aware of this too.
Please let me steal it for just one day
Could I please have the chance to be with you and start anew, just for one day?
Writer(s): Ron Lopata, Andy John Stochansky, Jesse Howard Labelle
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RachelRoseGuitar
Where can i get the official tracks of his songs? I can't seem to find any :P